King Arthur (Sonic the Hedgehog)
For more uses of "Arthur", see Arthur (disambiguation). |japanactor = Hidekatsu Shibata |birthplace = World of Camelot |creator = Merlin |family = *King Uther Pendragon *Lady Igraine *Mordred *Sir Lancelot Sonic Team (March 13, 2009). Sonic and the Black Knight. Nintendo Wii. Gallery. Vault 5. of the Round Table "Lancelot is known as the strongest and Arthur's nephew Gawain as the greatest knight. Though brothers-in-arm, the two are rivals. And Sir Percival's quest is a legend in its own right." |nickname = *The King *The Black Knight |species = Knights of the Underworld |gender = Male |eye color = Yellow |attire = *Black, golden, red and brown body armor with a crown-like helmet *Cape with hot pink outlines |alignment = Evil |affiliation = *Camelot **Knights of the Round Table |likes = *Power *The Knights of the Round Table |dislikes = *Being insulted *Thought of as weak *Sonic |skills = *Magic *Swordsmanship |moves = *Guard *King Arthur's Soul Surge |ability type = Speed }} , also known as the , is the primary antagonist of Sonic and the Black Knight. He is a being from the world of Camelot and was a magical illusion created by Merlin for the purpose of becoming a benevolent ruler over England. Under the guiding hand of his creator, Arthur achieved his purpose and became a legend. When he obtained the scabbard of Excalibur however, Arthur was corrupted by its power and became an evil tyrant who enslaved his kingdom. His reign came to an end when Sonic the Hedgehog was called into the world of Camelot and slew Arthur. History Past Long ago, King Arthur was created by the wizard Merlin as a illusionary Knight of the Underworld, for the purpose of bringing peace and a just rule to the kingdom as its monarch. Apparently using King Uther Pendragon, and Lady Igraine as surrogate parents, Merlin used his trickery to have this couple conceive Arthur. Against the King's wishes, the newborn Arthur was taken away by Merlin and given to Sir Ector to be raised.Sonic Team (March 13, 2009). Sonic and the Black Knight. Nintendo Wii. Gallery. Vault 5. of Arthur "Born to King Uther Pendragon and Lady Igraine, an enemy country's queen, with the help of Merlin's trickery. Against the King's wishes, Merlin took the newborn Arthur away and gave him to Sir Ector to raise." While as a young boy, Arthur came across the sacred sword Caliburn which was embedded in a stone and could only be pulled out by, as Merlin had claimed, the true King of England. Where all others failed, Arthur successfully pulled out Caliburn, making him the ruler of all of England.Sonic Team (March 13, 2009). Sonic and the Black Knight. Nintendo Wii. Gallery. Vault 5. Sword "Merlin placed the sword in the stone claiming that none but the true King could pull it out. None were able to pull the sword free except Arthur. That act made him the King of all England." Over time, Arthur proved himself to be wise and just king, making praised by all, and he gathered a powerful group of noble knights under his service, named the Knights of the Round Table. For some time, King Arthur led his kingdom into an era of peace and prosperity. During his youth, Arthur broke his own sword. Guided by Merlin, Arthur went to a lake in the Deep Woods where he found the legendary sword Excalibur. Using a boat, Arthur sailed out into the lake where Nimue bestowed Excalibur and its scabbard to Arthur as he had proven himself worthy to wield them. Using Excalibur, Arthur was able to save his kingdom countless times.Sonic Team (March 13, 2009). Sonic and the Black Knight. Nintendo Wii. Gallery. Vault 5. Excalibur "When Arthur broke his sword, Merlin guided him to the lake where he found a sword held aloft by fairy magic. Arthur went out in a small boat and claimed the sword. That sword was the legendary Excalibur, which Arthur used to save the kingdom countless times." With the scabbard of Excalibur's magic, Arthur became an immortal being. However, the mystical forces of the scabbard and power bewitched and corrupted King Arthur,"The legendary king and ruler of Camelot, King Arthur has been corrupted by mysterious forces and now rules as a tyrant over the tainted land. His enchanted sword has been transformed by this evil, becoming Deathcalibur. With his army of minions, he appears unstoppable until a certain blue hedgehog arrives." - Sonic and the Black Knight US website. turning him into a power-hungry tyrant and was renamed the Black Knight. At some point Arthur lost Excalibur when it was corrupted by his evil, but gained a new sword called Deathcalibur. Using his dark magic, Arthur began summoning the Knights of the Underworld to do his bidding and began plunging his kingdom into turbulence and chaos. He nevertheless proved to still have strong relations with the Knights of the Round Table despite his change and they still chose to serve him as well. ''Sonic and the Black Knight'' At the beginning of Sonic and the Black Knight, Arthur was chasing after the granddaughter of his creator and Royal Wizard, Merlina the Wizard, for unknown reasons. Using Deathcalibur, Arthur summoned the Knights of the Underworld to trap her, but as Arthur approached her, Merlina used her own magic to summon Sonic the Hedgehog to their world. After Sonic dispatched Arthur's minions, Arthur prepared to battle the hedgehog, but Merlina teleported them both away before the battle could begin. Not distraught by his enemies' escape, Arthur met up with Sir Lancelot, Sir Gawain and Sir Percival and ordered them to seek out Sonic and Merlina and slay them on sight, while he chased after them himself. Arthur faced Sonic twice during the game. The first time was shortly after Sonic obtained Caliburn, but as Sonic lacked both resources and skills, and as the Scabbard of Excalibur had made Arthur immortal, Arthur decided to leave after deeming Sonic "a fool of a knight" who is not worth slaying. Much later, the two of them met a second time at Avalon, when Sonic sought out Arthur to stop him once and for all. Arthur dryly remarked that Sonic had only somewhat improved his impersonation of a knight, but this time he was determined to kill Sonic in a duel. After a more heated duel, Arthur was knocked off his horse, but told Sonic that he could not win because of his immortality. However, as Arthur called upon the scabbard's power, Sonic used the sacred swords he gained from the Knights of the Round Table to nullify the scabbard's power. Arthur stood up in disbelief of what was happening, and was defeated when Sonic attacked him one last time. After being bested by Sonic, Arthur faded away, leaving nothing but the scabbard. When Sonic brought the scabbard to Merlina, she revealed that King Arthur was never there, just an illusion created by Merlin, and it was merely part of her plan to acquire the Scabbard of Excalibur for her own ends. After the battle with the Dark Queen, Caliburn revealed that since he is the legendary sacred sword Caliburn, his duty is to decide who was fit for the crown, thus making Sonic the one worthy to be King Arthur. Personality Prior to his corruption, King Arthur was noted to be a wise, loyal and just ruler, as well as an honorable knight of great virtues. He also cared greatly for his kingdom and its inhabitants, having willingly saved it on countless occasions. When he was bewitched by the Scabbard of Excalibur, Arthur's personality underwent a drastic change. Corrupted by power, Arthur became an evil and cruel tyrant, perfectly willing to enslave, terrorize and murder his own people, plunging his kingdom into horror and chaos without showing a hint of remorse. As the Black Knight, King Arthur was incredibly arrogant. Confident in his own superiority, Arthur viewed those beneath him as weaklings and not worth his time. As a result, Arthur took a very limited interest in the subject he was presented with to the point where he considered whether or not he should participate, and could even withdraw from a battle with opponents he deemed unworthy on a whim. In other media Archie Comics .]] In the Sonic the Hedgehog comic series and its spin-offs, King Arthur appeared in the comics' adaptation of Sonic and the Black Knight. In this media, he is a being from another Zone connected to the reality of the In Another Time, In Another Place reality. Like in the game, Arthur cornered Merlina who summoned Sonic to help her. After the duo escaped, Arthur had his knights go look for them. Battle King Arthur is fought as the first and fifth boss in Sonic and the Black Knight. He is first fought at the end of Misty Lake and at the beginning of Faraway Avalon. Quotes *''"I shall give chase. Spread out and go after them. Slay them on sight."'' *''"Now, let us see the power of your so called sacred sword!"'' *''"Pursue me at your own peril, weakling!"'' *''"Bah! A fool of a knight not even worth slaying."'' *''"It seems your impersonation of a knight has improved somewhat."'' *''"Then let us have a another look at that unsightly swordsmanship."'' *''"You shall regret the day you ever raised your sword against me!"'' *''"It appears you are good at only one thing: running away."'' *''"There is no escape!"'' *''"Haaah!"'' *''"I shall blast you into dust!"'' *''"You blue pest! Roar Deathcalibur!" ''- King Arthur charges his Soul Surge. *''"Heh heh heh... I am immortal. You cannot defeat me!"'' *''"How can this be?!"'' - King Arthur shocked by the power of the Sacred Swords. *''"Noooooo!"'' - When he was defeated by Sonic and Caliburn. *''"Very well."'' - When being selected in Battle Mode. *''"I accept."'' - When being selected in Battle Mode. *''"Must I even join this?"'' - When being selected in Battle Mode. *''"Those bring their swords to bear against me will regret it."'' - When being selected in Battle Mode. *''"I will show you my true power!"'' - When being selected in Battle Mode. *''"Time for battle!"'' - After being accepted as the character being played in Battle Mode. *''"You shall regret, challenging me"'' - Spoken before battle in Battle Mode. *''"I shall take you with me to the underworld!"'' - Arthur in Battle Mode after swinging with remote six times for the first time or something and make combos, but has not defeated yet. *''"Your very presence offends the eye."'' - After Sonic fails a counter attack. Trivia *A black knight is a stock literary character, typically a villain. It is a knight who has no liege-lord or does not want to be identified and so does not bear any heraldic standards. Several black knights appeared in the tales of King Arthur. *Dragons are a key symbol of King Arthur.Sonic Team (March 13, 2009). Sonic and the Black Knight. Nintendo Wii. Gallery. Vault 1. Dragons "Mist Dragon and Earth Dragon. The dragon is a key symbol of King Arthur." *While he is the titular Black Knight, Arthur's armor is actually gold, albeit a very dark gold. *King Arthur's theme song is "Fight the Knight", a song by Crush 40 for the two boss fights Sonic has with him. In the first boss battle against him, the song is instrumental. The song in the second boss battle against him has lyrics. *King Arthur is unlockable in battle mode by collecting the five books detailing the story of King Arthur during regular gameplay. *King Arthur is the only multiplayer character in Sonic and the Black Knight that is not a recurring Sonic character or at least a character who is portrayed as one. He is also the only one who is incapable of jumping as well as the slowest (even though all characters don't run in multiplayer mode). *Sonic's battle with King Arthur at Avalon may have referenced Arthur's end in the Arthurian legends where Arthur is taken after being mortally wounded by his son Mordred. *In the second battle against King Arthur, he never faces Sonic in battle face-to-face since he is always dashing away. He even hypocritically taunts: "It appears you are good at only one thing: running away." References Category:Sonic the Hedgehog characters Category:Male video game characters Category:Video game bosses Category:Sega antagonists Category:Arthurian characters Category:Fictional kings Category:Fictional knights Category:Fictional swordsmen Category:Fictional demons Category:Fictional characters introduced in 2009